If you're considering going into locum work, whether as a full-time career path or just for some extra income on the side of another job, you'll probably have lots of questions to answer first...

    👉  How much should I expect to be paid?

    👉  How many shifts per week or month will I need to work?

    👉  Will I need to travel to find work? 

    👉  Will my rates be affected by where I am in the UK?

    👉  Which specialties pay locums the highest rates?

    👉  Which specialties have the most job opportunities?

Well, not only can we answer all these questions for you, we can also offer all the advice and guidance you need to have an enjoyable, stress-free, successful experience working as a locum doctor.

Here at Messly, we help doctors find locum work from the very best locum agencies. In 2021, we saw over 40,000 individual locum jobs offered on our platform. We’ve analysed all that data and produced a series of articles exploring the current trends in locuming.

This is designed to help you understand more about how locuming works, where the best job opportunities can be found, and how to command higher rates for your locum work.

We have a several information hubs for you to enjoy and learn from, exploring topics like locuming, working in Australia, and even portfolio and appraisal. You can find the full list of our hubs at the end of this article. We update and add to our hubs often, so be sure to bookmark this page and check in regularly. Happy browsing! 

Data Backed Articles

Senior House Officers

💯  SHO Locum Rates: Which Specialties Pay Best?: An in-depth breakdown of the rates you can expect to be paid as a locum SHO based on specialty.

🗺️  Do SHO Locum Rates Vary Across the UK?: Exploring whether the rates available to locum doctors vary across the different regions of the UK.

🏥  Locuming as an SHO: Which Specialty Has the Most Work?: An in-depth breakdown of the number of job opportunities available for locum SHOs based on specialty.

🧭  Locuming as an SHO: Which region Has the Most Work?: A guide to help you understand which regions in the UK currently have the most job opportunities for SHO locums.

Registrars

🏥  Locuming as an SpR: Which Specialty Has the Most Work?: An in-depth breakdown of the number of job opportunities available for locum registrars based on specialty.

🧭  Locuming as an SpR: Which Region Has the Most Work?: A guide to help you understand which regions in the UK currently have the most job opportunities for locum registrars.

Consultants

💯  Consultant Locum Rates: Which Specialties Pay the Best?: An in-depth breakdown of the rates you can expect to be paid as a locum consultant based on your specialty.

🏥  Locuming as a Consultant: Which Specialty Has the Most Work?: An in-depth breakdown of the number of job opportunities available for locum consultants.

🧭  Locuming as a Consultant: Which Region Has the Most Work?: A guide to help you understand which regions in the UK currently have the most job opportunities for locum consultants.

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General

💲  Locum Rates: What Can I Expect?: A guide to help you anticipate the sort of rates you'll be paid as a locum, including a general overview of the UK pay rates and an explanation of the pan-London rates.

🏙️  Locum Rates in London: This articles explains the difference between the rates for locum doctors in London and elsewhere in the UK, exactly where those rates apply, how much you can expect to be paid, and your options if you want to earn more.

💵  Managing Your Finances as a Locum Doctor: An overview of the key financial issues to consider as an F3 locum, including tax codes, your NHS pension, and getting tax rebates, with specialist advice from our friends at Medics' Money.

💼  Should You Locum Through a Limited Company?: Here we explain what it means to locum through a limited company, discuss the pros and cons of doing so, and answer the key questions you’ll need to consider when deciding if it's the right approach for you.

💰  How to Make a Living as a Full-Time Locum Doctor: Exploring how much you might expect to earn from locuming as a full-time SHO, highlighting key financial and work-related considerations you should be making, and providing advice to help manage your finances.

💡  Tips to Increase Your Locum Pay: Our top tips to help you earn the best rates possible for your grade, specialty, and region when working as a locum doctor.

🤝  How To Negotiate a Better Locum Rate: A detailed guide to help you becoming better at negotiating with prospective employers, to help you maximise the amount you can earn while locuming.

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If you'd like to learn more, check out our Locum Doctor Hub for a range of helpful locum-specific resources covering a wider range of topics such as finding work, registering with agencies and more.

Or, if you're currently an F2 or have recently started an F3 year, check out our F3 Resource Hub to explore all the different options available for your F3 year, understand the key dates for your diary, plan and manage your finances, and much more.

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Messly’s Hubs

F3 Hub 

Everything you need to know about F3 Years, as well as information and tips about how to decide if an F3 Year is right for you. 

Locum Hub

Our centre for all things locuming; from how to find work and negotiate rates, to how to get learning and development opportunities on the ward. 

Portfolio Ultimate Guide 

Find out what a portfolio is, how to use one to benefit your career, and get our tips and tricks on how to ensure your portfolio helps you with job applications and appraisals in the future. 

Ultimate Guide to Australia

Everything you need to know about applying for, working in, and moving to Australia as a UK junior doctor. Get insider reports on the different regions of Aus, and learn how to get your Australian adventure started. 

Ultimate Guide to New Zealand

Hear from doctors currently working in New Zealand about their experiences working in one of the happiest countries on Earth. 

F3 Stories Podcast 

Find a full list of all of our episodes from our F3 Stories Series including a summary of the topics discussed in each episode. 

Clinical Fellow Hub

Learn everything you need to know about fellowships, from how they may be able to benefit your career and how to find and land a job, to how to prepare for your first day on the job.

We would love to know your thoughts on the resources we provide, so please feel free to get in touch with us at support@messly.co.uk if you have any questions or comments about this article.

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